Advances will benefit from a solid outlook in key durable goods end uses, particularly electronic components, medical products and aerospace equipment. In terms of product mix, cyanoacrylates will achieve the most rapid gains, primarily due to expanding applications in both the medical products and on-site construction markets. Specialty adhesives represent about 4 percent of volume demand for the U.S. adhesives industry, but about one-quarter of total dollar value based on their higher prices. These and other trends are presented in Specialty Adhesives, a study from the Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm.
In 2002, the manufacturing and assembly market accounted for 80 percent of total specialty adhesive demand. Gains in this market will be promoted by a rebound in the general economy, arising from a sluggish 2002 base. The fact that specialty adhesives can augment or eliminate mechanical fastener requirements in structural applications will promote growth in various manufacturing and assembly markets, such as electronic components, motor vehicles, and aerospace equipment.
Adhesives used in consumer and household applications will continue to exhibit slow but steady growth. A greater emphasis on do-it-yourself home maintenance and improvement projects will promote demand for consumer specialty adhesives.
Specialty adhesives used in the on-site construction market will be promoted by an acceleration in nonresidential building activity. Residential building projects will also provide opportunities for specialty adhesives, primarily due to architectural trends favoring greater adhesive usage in structural applications, where specialty adhesives are being increasingly used to augment or replace traditional mechanical fasteners.
In addition to cyanoacrylates, other specialty adhesives that will experience rapid growth during 2007 include those that feature high temperature resistance, such as polyimide and bismaleimide adhesives. Radiation-cured acylate adhesives will also achieve above-average gains.
